RecallsIf you own one of the following vehicles and haven't been notified by the maker that your vehicle is under recall, get yourself down to your local dealer to find out if the recall affects you.
*2000 Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/ Sierra, Tahoe/Yukon, Suburban/ Yukon XL: Some of these pickups and SUVs have a defective airbag-sensing diagnostic module that could prevent the driver and passenger's airbag from deploying during certain frontal crashes. Dealers will recalibrate the modules.
Dodge & Jeep-Beyond 2003The trade journal Automotive News recently lifted the veil on DaimlerChrysler's product plans for 2003-2006. Here's what you can expect from Jeep and Dodge Truck.
*Grand Cherokee will be redesigned for the '05 model year with a more spacious cabin to accommodate a third row of seats. It may also receive a round headlight treatment like the Liberty to give the Jeep line more brand identity.
*Wrangler will be redesigned for the '06 model year.
*Liberty will receive a mid-cycle freshening for 2004 or 2005.
*Look for an entry-level Jeep based on the Compass concept vehicle in 2005 or 2006. It will most likely sit on the Liberty's platform. Target price is $16,000 to $20,000.
*Dodge Ram trucks are just beginning their latest cycles, so no big changes are expected.
*The Dakota is slated for a redo for 2004. Its styling will borrow from the M80 and Powerbox concept trucks, and it may be smaller than the current pickup. The 5.7L Hemi V-8 may be offered as an option alongside the 3.7L V-6 and 4.7L V-8.
*A year after the Dakota revision, the Durango will be reworked as well. Its platform will still be the Dakota.
Environmental & Political Watch*We love our gas-guzzling trucks, but shrinking resources and increasing pollution will eventually force us into some alternative means of power. The experts are betting heavily on fuel cells, and electricity just got a big boost from a new development by a company called UQM Technologies. It has developed a permanent magnetoelectric motor system that produces both high torque and high speeds at levels more than twice those of the electric-motor industry's best motors.
Currently, electric motors can produce plenty of torque, but they can propel a vehicle to high speeds only through proper transmission gearing. UQM's new motor will allow a vehicle to achieve higher speeds without complicated gear combinations. This feature opens up electric-motor technology to new applications, including off-highway equipment and military vehicles. (The Army is already using UQM motors in its hybrid HMMWV.) It will also be a boon to the gas/electric hybrid propulsion systems, like those now used in the Honda Civic and Toyota Prius compact cars, and others that will soon cross over to truck and SUV applications.
*Remember the domino theory? One nation falls to communism, and its neighbors will too? Well, it looks like it may apply to greenhouse gas emissions laws. On the heels of California's statute to force a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, a similar bill has been introduced in New York. Let's hope the automakers can overturn these "anti-SUV" bills before they creep into any more states.
Calendar Of EventsJan. 3-4 Best in the Desert KTM Parker 250 (for motorcycles and quads only), Parker, AZ. Information: Best in the Desert, 702/457-5775, www.bitd.com
Jan. 10-11 California Rock Crawlers Association Rock Challenge Series, Wooden Nickel Ranch, Menifee, CA. Information: CRCA, 909/679-3879, www.californiarockcrawlersassociation.com
Jan. 16-19 9th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, Laughlin, NV. Information: SCORE International, 818/225-8402, www.score-international.com
Jan. 18 8th Annual Truckhaven Hills Poker Run and barbecue dinner, Truckhaven, CA (near the Salton Sea). Information: CORVA, 800/42-CORVA, geoff@corva.org